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Monday, 2 February, 2004, 13:48 GMT

Oslo court extends mullah custody

Mullah Krekar A Norwegian court has ordered the founder of an Islamic militant group to remain in custody for another four weeks.

Mullah Krekar, head of the Kurdish group Ansar al-Islam, was charged last December with plotting the murder of his political rivals in northern Iraq.

"The accused, with reasonable grounds, can still be suspected of illegal acts," a court statement said.

US officials say Ansar al-Islam may be behind Sunday's suicide bombings in northern Iraq, which killed 56 people.

The US also suspects the group has links to the al-Qaeda network.

The Iraqi Kurdish mullah has repeatedly claimed he is no longer leader of Ansar al-Islam, and denies terror links.

Norwegian prosecutors had sought to keep him in detention while they investigated what they said was new evidence against him, relating to a plot to murder rivals in Iraq during 2000-2001.

Norway's elite economic crime unit, Oekokrim, presented its evidence on Friday in a closed-door session of the court.

The nature of the new allegations is not known.

Visits to Iraq

Norway is seeking to expel Mullah Krekar, who was granted refugee status in the country in 2001.

Authorities argue his frequent visits to Iraq, the country he fled when seeking asylum, justify expulsion.

American officials say his group continues to train, and possibly deploy, suicide bombers.


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Related to this story:
Iraqi Kurds count cost of attacks (02 Feb 04  |  Middle East )
Oslo court rejects mullah release (13 Jan 04  |  Europe )
Norway arrests 'Iraqi militant' (02 Jan 04  |  Europe )
Norway to expel Mullah Krekar (19 Feb 03  |  Europe )
Dutch deport 'Islamic militant' (14 Jan 03  |  Europe )

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